Contributed By Irin Tjahjana
Wolverine fans will be enthralled with the comeback of Hugh Jackman in this sci-fi action flick based on the 1956 short story Steel by Richard Matheson. The year is 2020, and ex-boxer Charlie (Jackman) finds himself out of a job and out of luck when robot boxers replace humans in the ring.
Scraping by as a small-time promoter, Charlie earns just enough money piecing together low-end bots from scrap metal to get from one underground boxing venue to the next, but hits rock bottom when he sinks US$50,000 into a bot that ends up getting defeated in a match. Reluctantly, he teams up with his estranged son Max (Dakota Goyo) to build and train a championship contender found from the dumps. As Charlie strives to realize his dream of winning the Real Steel championship, he rekindles the possibility of being reunited with his own flesh and blood as well.
Great action scenes and strong chemistry among the leads aside, the movie succeeds in introducing Goyo as a brilliant child actor and dancer. Jackman’s role as a father, especially, is a first in his portfolio. His ability to showcase emotions and humor appeals to the whole family—while Wolverine does not bite here, he does box pretty well.
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